Our Eyes Are Incapable of Seeing the World of Maryam Mirzakhani

Regarding the passing and legacy of Professor Maryam Mirzakhani, a mathematical genius and the first woman and first Iranian to win the Fields Medal (the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in Mathematics), Radio Farda asked Amir Hossein Ganjbakhsh for his opinion. Amir Hossein Ganjbakhsh is a senior researcher in statistical biophysics and the head of one of the departments at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, the largest medical research center in the world. In the interview, Ganjbakhsh expressed his deep sorrow from several angles. Firstly, a kind and dignified personality passed away in the prime of her youth, and he extended his condolences to her husband, daughter, and family. He noted that Mirzakhani belonged to a generation of Iranian scientists and geniuses who, despite a government that does not have a good relationship with women, managed to reach very high academic levels. He also thanked professors like Dr. Omid Ali Shahni Kermzadeh, who was the head of the mathematics Olympiad and raised these talented individuals under difficult conditions. Ganjbakhsh emphasized that while general disasters can be earthquakes or floods resulting in the loss of many lives, for scientific communities, the loss of figures like Dr. Mirzakhani is a catastrophe, especially since her passing occurred at a young age, not after she had completed all her scientific work. He described Mirzakhani's unique perspective in mathematics, noting that geniuses like her access a world that is somewhat distant from ordinary people's views, which is what makes them rare and exceptional. He reflected on her journey from studying at Sharif University in Iran to Harvard and Princeton in the United States, ultimately becoming a professor at Stanford and being the first woman and first Iranian to win the Fields Medal. Ganjbakhsh concluded that the lesson we should take from Mirzakhani's passing is the need for these great minds to return to Iran and work in a peaceful and free environment. He pointed out that many of these geniuses are not in Iran due to the difficulties they face, leading them to be attracted to universities and scientific centers abroad, severing their ties with Iran. This phenomenon, known as 'brain drain,' should be a central concern for the leaders of the country. He reiterated that these minds are not ordinary and that we must strive to bring them back to Iran to work in a conducive environment.